Like Family
by Mika Uriah
Summary: After the episode Hero part 1 - Helen and Kate have a conversation about family.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

OoO

Kate huffed out of frustration and fought the urge to throw her phone across the room, Helen Magnus watched the younger woman out of amusement "are you alright?"

"Yes…" she put her phone down "…no…maybe? Is maybe a good answer?"

Helen gave her a half-sympathetic smile and nodded, padding the seat beside her "I think maybe is definitely a good answer sometimes."

Kate sat beside Helen on the couch and rested a head on the brunette's shoulder and closed her eyes briefly, suddenly her eyes snapped open and she sat up quick "sorry! Sorry!"

Helen rested a hand on the Indian woman's lower back "for what, hmm?"

"Crossing the line I guess? I dunno, I…I seen my brother this week and it made me realize how much I miss my mom and my brother," she admitted.

"What's your brother's name?" She rubbed the girl's back to get her to be calm again; if she was going to live here she needed to get comfortable with the family dynamic they all seemed to have fallen into somewhat naturally.

"Tad. Mom and Dad named him Tadelesh after the husband of my mom's friend or something when mom was studying in some country in Africa that I can't remember the name of. Tad hated it that he got something so foreign sounding when I got. Kate. You know?"

The young Indian woman watched the Brit test the name on her tongue before the older woman grinned softly "I like it, you don't talk much about your family."

Kate found her cheeks darken "look, Doc, don't take it the wrong way, please? I don't mean any disrespect, it's just. My teens and like half of my twenties weren't exactly in the best crowd of people; that whole 'friends close and enemies closer' line doesn't work. I've killed people, I've killed abnormals. Apart of that makes me so sick that I can't even tell you," she swallowed "I wish it could be something else, but sometimes you needed to do it to survive, not because we were under attack but because you know that if you don't carry out this contract you won't get paid, or have food to eat, or a bed to sleep in or…you know? God, I wish I could be like my mom. But, I know I'm not and sometimes I'm scared to call her because she's going to know that I fucked up again."

Helen stopped her from talking by resting a hand on her cheek "you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to or aren't ready too, I do know though that you've done some stuff that you aren't proud of; that being said, I lived for two life times now. Doing something you aren't proud of is how you learn and grow and you are trying to find your way. I can't hold that against you, and with the work that you've done here just the short time that you've been here, your mom will be damn proud of you."

Kate swallowed; her brown eyes glistened with unshed tears "you think?"

Helen hugged her "I do. I know what happened when we were out, and you did it to save your brother, but, you should've came with us, we would've thought of something. What if Constantine tried to hurt you or worse? – You're a part of this family here now, whether you like it or not. And that means your brother and your mom too, if you need something – let me know, please?"

"You're serious?

"Of course, if you want you can tell your mom to come visit, maybe Sunday dinner? So she'll know you're safe."

Kate smiled, her head still on Magnus's shoulder "she'd like that, she's a nurse though, and I'd have to see how her schedule is to do something like that, but, yeah…I know she worries."

Kate could feel Magnus smile despite not looking at her, "it's a mother's prerogative to worry."

"You worried about Ashley?"

"All the freaking time; and Henry, and Will, and you…but, especially Ashley."

"I hear stories from Henry sometimes and it sounds like her and I would've gotten along."

Magnus smiled "or killed each other in the first two weeks, but I think you would've been friends. What kind of nurse is your mom?"

"A trauma nurse," she sat up and folded her feet under her butt as she talked about her mom "that's how they met actually" she smiled "Dad was shot and mom took care of him," the grin on her face made Magnus smile, "certain things you say or do remind me of her a lot."

"Oh?"

"She says 'bloody hell' and 'dear lord' a lot. Maybe even more than you," she giggled "it's funnier because she's not British," she giggled and got quiet "I miss her. A lot," she went back and cuddled with Helen "is this okay?" she froze, normally Kate was so cold and distant, but seeing her brother again to find out that she wasn't going to see him for a while made her miss her family.

"More than," Magnus assured her, it was amazing how much Kate reminded her of Ashley some ways.

"You would tell me if it wasn't?"

"You would be the first to know."

"I'm sorry about almost throwing my phone."

"Why?"

"Cause it was unprofessional?"

Helen chuckled "no, no, not about why are you sorry for throwing your phone, I meant why did you throw it?"

"Oh. Tad is moving to California with some girl."

"Oh."

"He just sent me a text that she was pregnant."

"Congratulations?"

She rubbed her face again and sat up "I love my brother, but he's in no position to be anyone's father."

Helen frowned "I'm sorry, maybe…California and not being close to where you and your mother is will smarten him up a bit?"

She nodded "maybe…it's just…if he needs help he won't ask for it. He's stubborn that way."

Helen laughed "sorry I didn't mean to laugh, it's just…well…like brother like sister, hmm?"

Kate frowned, "I was right; you do remind me of my mother."


End file.
